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Home / Sport / League / Warriors

Covid 19 coronavirus: Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck on life in lockdown and the uncertainty of the NRL's future

Michael Burgess
By Michael Burgess
Senior Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·
10 Apr, 2020 04:30 AM5 mins to read

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New Zealand has recorded its second coronavirus-related death. The death was of a woman in her 90s, who died in Burwood Hospital in Christchurch.

More than anything, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is missing his normal routine.

For the best part of nine years the Kiwis fullback has had most of his life planned out day by day, even hour by hour.

That's the reality of an elite professional athlete, with fixed training schedules, along with the extra field and gym work he has become renowned for.

Tuivasa-Sheck sets detailed goals at the start of each year, then broken down into smaller portions, and is the poster boy for "better never stops" and continuous improvement.

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That's all changed over the last three weeks, with the NRL season suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by New Zealand's unprecedented national lockdown.

The 26-year-old is enjoying the extra time with his partner Ashley and their children Amara (22 months) and Nico (five months), but it's still been an unusual period.

"The [lack of] routine is the shock to me," Tuivasa-Sheck told the Herald. "I'm massive on my routine and that kinda goes out the window."

"At the end of 2011 when I started my first pre-season I got my first schedule and [I've] been following schedules since then pretty much, and I do my own bits and pieces here and there."

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Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been keeping fit by running during the national lockdown. Photo / Photosport
Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been keeping fit by running during the national lockdown. Photo / Photosport

To compound matters, Tuivasa-Sheck doesn't have any training equipment or weights to use at his South Auckland residence.

It stemmed from a desire not to mix his personal and professional lives, since he is always one of the first players to arrive at Mt Smart, and usually one of the last to leave.

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"Unfortunately I don't have the gear at home," explains Tuivasa-Sheck.

"I tend to try and keep that away from home, because I am constantly in that world.

"But I am now regretting that. I wish I had a few more bits and pieces here but my best training now is the runs, to keep my speed up."

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NeedToKnow3

Tuivasa-Sheck is following the running programmes devised by Warriors head trainer Craig Twentyman, which mix sprint sessions with longer aerobic ones.

Conditioner Ruben Wiki has been setting various bodyweight based exercises and Tuivasa-Sheck also has a basketball hoop at home.

"It hasn't been too bad," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "I've been lucky enough to have two little ones keeping me busy and then when they drop for their nap, that's the time for me to go and train.

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"I'm trying to stay fit, keep the lungs going and keep the speed up. I've been running around, and playing a bit of basketball on my own."

He admits it has been harder to stay motivated at times, when there has been so much uncertainty around the rest of the season, but the competition among the Warriors squad has helped.

"Ruben sends out challenges for us to do and we have been doing a few different things as a team still," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "The boys are sending in their challenges, which keeps me a little on edge, trying to make targets and make sure I am on track and not too far from the group. Some of them are training the house down."

That will become more important as the NRL aims to re-start the season at the end of May, after previous best-case scenarios were centered on July.

"It's been hard, not knowing," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "There's been various dates floating around. A couple of weeks ago I was told it might be in July and all of a sudden news that it could be in May. Like wow, that's sooner than expected, I better get out and start training."

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

On Thursday night the NRL announced their kick off target date of May 28, with a 15-round competition.

It's almost certain that the Warriors will have to be based in Australia for the entirety — due to restrictions on trans-Tasman travel — but Tuivasa-Sheck doesn't want to get ahead of things.

"I don't want to be working myself up until it is all confirmed," he says. "I know we are going to have to end up staying in Australia for some time, but we don't know the full details on what's about to happen. Once we get a clearer picture of what's happening I can start to work out what's the right plan.

"But it's going to be tough for the partners, the families, leaving them behind for such a long time. Not even weeks or days, it's going to be months, depending on how the season pans out.

"I especially feel for those boys who are not from Auckland and their partners are not from Auckland and if they don't have any families around, that's the toughest part."

The Warriors may not have much choice, however, given the financial implications of not being involved in the competition.

The players have already had to take a pay cut, though Tuivasa-Sheck said that process had a silver lining.

"The real positive for me was how the RLPA (Rugby League Players Association) went into the negotiations," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "They really backed us, fought for us and it worked out for the best. They found a way and at least we are getting something.

"Hopefully when the game comes back it will start to be a bit normal on the financial side. It's pretty tough for everyone at the moment. But it's happening all over the world."

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